Self-rated poverty among Filipino families declined slightly from 37% to 35% in early 2026, prior to the global oil price shock linked to tensions in the Middle East, according to a survey released by OCTA Research.
The Tugon ng Masa survey, conducted from March 19 to 25, 2025, estimated that around 9.2 million families considered themselves poor, down from approximately 9.8 million in December 2025.
Despite the drop of about 600,000 families, OCTA noted that the change is not statistically significant and falls within the survey’s margin of error, suggesting that overall poverty conditions remained broadly stable during the period.
Around 24% of respondents said they were “not poor,” while 41% remained undecided on their economic status.
Regionally, self-rated poverty was highest in Mindanao at 56%, followed by the Visayas at 44%. By socioeconomic class, 58% of Class E households identified as poor, compared to 35% among Class D and 15% among Class ABC.
The findings underscore the continued concentration of poverty among lower-income households, even as national figures showed minimal change.
OCTA said the slight decline may indicate modest improvements in overall economic conditions but warned of uneven recovery across regions.
“Gains appear concentrated in the National Capital Region and parts of Mindanao, while other areas experienced setbacks,” the group said, noting that persistently high poverty rates in Mindanao and among lower-income groups point to continued economic vulnerability.
Food poverty showed little change, inching up from 30% to 31%, equivalent to around 8.1 million families.
Meanwhile, self-rated hunger stood at 17%, or about 4.5 million families, slightly higher than the 16% (4.2 million families) recorded in December 2025 who reported experiencing hunger at least once.
The non-commissioned survey polled 1,200 respondents aged 18 and above through face-to-face interviews. It has a ±3% margin of error at a 95% confidence level, while subnational estimates carry a ±6% margin of error for key geographic areas including NCR, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
